Game apparatus



Jan. 18, 1938.

n a. @99 g@ QQ-ge M. S. MAYER ET AL GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1936 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l zo as p5 105 zUenZ-ors jfr Slzg/er and Geog@ WSC-hwy, if?? 5 @3.

Jan. 18, 1938. M. s. MAYER ET A1. 2,105,837

GAME APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JMW@ er arzc'l @earsye MJC dll/73% i', @.WM

Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATESv GAME APPARATUS Marie S. Mayer, Vineland, N. J., and George W. Schilling, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 27, 1936, Serial No. 65,938

8 Claims.

This invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for playing a game of the checker type.

'Ihe principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of gameapparatus by means of which interesting games of the checker type may be played.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for playing games of the checker type in the use of which the outcome of the game is not entirely dependent upon the skill of the respective players in that certain elements of chance are involved in the playing of the game.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game board adapted for playing games as aforesaid, which board may be so constructed or arranged that games of longer or shorter duration may be played, as desired by the players.

With the foregoing objects in view, our invention contemplates the provision of a game board of the checker type having several differentiated fields disposed thereon, so that the moves of the checkers may be varied on the several elds.

The invention further contemplates the provision on certain of the squares of the checker board of indicia corresponding to the various cards of a deck of ordinary playing cards, where-` by a deck of ordinary playing cards may be used for determining the initial placement of the checkers on the board. 'Y

The invention further contemplates the provision of a board "made of panels hinged to each other and having playingsquares outlined thereon in such manner that a game of shorter duration may be played thereon.

'I'he nature and characteristicfeatures of the invention will be more readily understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a plan view 'of the main face of a game board embodying the main features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the other face of said game board having disposed thereon a layout for playing a game of similar character but of shorter duration; l

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the main face of the game board with said board folded, thereby to' provide a layout for the playing of a game' of still shorter duration;

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the board folded to provide the layout as shown in Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 of` the drawings, the layout of the board as there shown comprises 128 squares disposed eight rows in width and sixteen rows in length. The two rows on eachside of the board are of red squares I and black squares Il, whereas the four central longitudinal rows are all white squares l2 with the exception of the king row at each end. 5 In' the king row at each end the Sequence of the red squares is continued from the side rows, as at I ila and I0", and the other two squares as at I2BL ,and Il.b are left White.

With the exception of the two central transverse rows, each of the white squares I2 carries a designation indicative of a playing card in a deck of ordinary playing cards. The two white squares I2a of the king row at one end preferably carry indicia designating the king of hearts and the king of diamonds, respectively, while the two White squares I2b of the king row at the other end 'carry indicia designating the king of spades and the king of clubs, respectively.

The other indicia may be disposed on the re- 2o spective squares in any rpreferred manner such, for example, as that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As there shown, the indicia for all of the hearts are arranged consecutively in one longitudinal row, all of the clubs in another longitudinal row, all of the diamonds in another longitudinal row, and all of the spades in another longitudinal row. With the layout as shown in Fig. 1

of the drawings, there are provided indicia for the entire `fty-two cards of a deck of ordinary playing cards.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the reverse side of the board is provided with a layout comprising 96 squares disposed eight rows in width and twelve rows in length. This layout is substantially .similar to that shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, with the exception that the indicia inthe white squares designate less than a full deck of playing cards, and the indicia there shown is arranged with the several suits of hearts, spades, diamonds,l and clubs disposed in diagonal rows, instead of in longitudinal rows as shown in Fig. l.

It will be noted that in the use of the arrangement as shown in Fig. 2, on the reverse side of the board having a layout as in Fig. 1 on the front face thereof, spaces I4 will be left at each end of the board, in which spaces the rules` of the game may be printed, or advertising matter may be displayed thereon if desired.

The board is preferably made of four panels a, b, c, andJ d hinged to each other as at I3, so that the same may be folded as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to presentl a playing face as shown in Fig. 3. When thus arranged, the layu out comprises sixty-four squares in all, disposed eight squares in width and eight in length, and, naturally, the indicia which are disposed on the folded-in faces of the board are concealed and not used when the board is in this condition for playing a game of shorter duration.

The ordinary red and black checkers are used in connection with the board, there being provided fifty-two checkers in all, of which twentysix are red and twenty-six black. A deck of ordinary playing cards may also be used in connection with the board.

The preferred manner of using the board when the same is disposed as shown in Fig. 1 is as follows. The player at one end takes all of the checkers of one color'and the player at the other end takes all of the checkers of the other color. The deck of playing cards is then taken and the kings removed therefrom, after which the remaining forty-eight cards of the .deck are shuilled and dealt alternately to the two players. Each player then arranges his checkers on the board in accordance with the cards dealt to him, and also places two of his checkers on the two king spaces in his king row. 'Ihe playing cards" are then no longer used. After the checkers are placed on the board in the chance arrangement determined by the cards dealt to each of the players, said checkers maybe moved according to any predetermined set of rules, but it has been found thatthe following method of playing will be found quite satisfactory.

The checkers are moved and jumped on the board in a manner similar to that of the ordinary game of checkers, with the exception, however, that the checkers may be moved onfthe white squares transversely, longitudinally, and diagonally. It is also preferable to permit the moves on the white squares to be made either one or two squares at' a time, at the player's discretion, in either a transverse or a longitudinal direction. However, initially the longitudinal movement of each players checkers must always be toward the king row of his opponent as in the ordinary game of checkers. As each checker reaches the opponents king row, it is crowned", also as in the ordinary game of checkers, after which it is permissible to move the same in any direction. Movements of the checkers are made on and to the white and black squares only. In moving from the field of white squares the termination of the move must be on a black square. All moves in the side marginalrows naturally must be made diagonally.

Jumping may also be vdone as in the ordinary game of checkers, it, of course, being understood that while the playing is in the field of white squares the jumps may be made either transv-` versely, longitudinally, \or diagonally. Whenever a checker is jumped by -an opponents checker, it is forfeited and removed from the board, andwhenever all of aplayers checkers are thus forfeited he loses the game.

The full length game may' be played on the front face of the board, as illustrated in Fig. 1

of the drawings, or a shorter game may be played are removed from the deck, as well as the kings which preferably are always removed therefrom.

We claim: 1. Game apparatus of the checker type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three different colors, the squares of one color being disposed in and completely filling a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end, and the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately with respect to ea'ch other in sets of rows, one set extending along each side of the central field.

2. Game apparatus of the checker type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three different colors, the squares of one color being disposed in and completely filling a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end, the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately with respect to each other in sets of rows, one set extending along each side of the central field, and the sequenceof one of said colors being continued in the squares in the marginal row at each end.

3. Game apparatus of the checker type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three different colors, the squares of one color being disposed in and completely filling a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end, the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately with respect to each other in sets of rows with one set on each side of the central field, and the squares in the central field bearing checker locating indicia corresponding to the cards in a deck of ordinary playing cards.

4Game apparatus of the checker type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three different colors, the squares of one color being disposed in a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end and lling said field, the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately with respect to each other in two sets of rows with one set on each side of the central field, the sequence of one of said colors being continued in the squares in the marginal row at each end, andthe squares in the central field bearing checker locating indicia corresponding to the cards in a deck of ordinary playing cards.

5. Game apparatus of the checker. type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three different colors, the lsquares of one color being disposed in a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end, the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately with respect to each other in two sets of rows with one set on each side of the central field, and the board comprising a plurality of panels hinged to each other whereby an intermediate portion of the' face thereof may be folded under to decrease the effective playing surface.

6. Game apparatus of the checker type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three different colors, the squares of one color being disposed in a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end, the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately" with respect to each other in two sets of rows with on'e set on each side of the central field, the sequence of one` of said colors being continued in the squares in the marginal row at each end, and the board comprising a plurality of panels hinged to each other whereby an intermediate portion of the face thereof may be folded under to decrease the effective playing surface.

7. Game apparatus of thechecker type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three different colors, the squares of one color being disposed in a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end, the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately with respect to each other in two sets of rows with one set on each side of the central field, the squares in the central eld bearing checker locating indicia corresponding to the cards in a deck of ordinary playing cards, and the board comprising a plurality of panels hinged to each other whereby an intermediate portion of the face thereof may be folded under to decrease the elective playing surface.

8. Game apparatus of the checker type including a game board subdivided into checker squares of three dierent colors, the squares of one color being disposed in a central field extending from the marginal row at one end to the marginal row at the other end, the squares of the other colors being disposed alternately with respect to each other in rows on each side of the central field, the sequence of one of said colors being continued in the squares in the marginal row at each end, the squares in the central eld bearingehecker locating indicia corresponding to the cards in a deck of ordinary playing cards, and the board comprising a plurality of panels hinged to each other whereby an intermediate portion of the face thereof may be folded under to decrease the effective playing surface.

MARIE S. MAYER. GEORGE W. SCHILLING. 

